The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-09-17
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.

There are 100000 men engaged
in the building trades in the United
States.
The cost of the recent coke strike
to the men and operators is estimated
at $1,000, 900.
There are 108 cotton mills in the
South. Georgia heads the list with sc,
Tennessee cone, next with q, and Ala
bama 20.
"A physician living near the sea
says that during the past five years he
has noted the hour and minute of death
in ninety-three patients. and every one
has gone out with the tide, save four
who died suddenly by accident
1t is reported that rich American
is about to establish paper factory at
San Luis Potosi, Mexico, with capital
of at least 100000. The principal ma
terial used will be 'lechugilla," a
fbrous plant which grows abundantly
in that section.
About midway between ST. Peters,
burg and Moscow, Prince Putiatin has
made the important archaeological dis
covery of an image of the constellation
of Ursa Major engraved on a grindstone
of the Stone Age. A similar discovery
had already been made near Wellmar
in Germany.
What is termed flexible glass is q
useful product just introduced. Paper
of proper thickness is rendered trans
parent by soaking in copal varnish, and
when dry, is polished, rubbed with
pumice stone, and layer of soluble
glass is applied and rubbed with salt.
The surface is as perfect as glass;
Boston Budget.
"A new plant said to have electrical
properties, is described by some of the
German journals under the name of
Phytolacca electrical ut gives slight
electric shock to the hand when its
stalk is broken. and it affects the mag
netic needle, disturbing it considerably
if brought very near Its energy varies
during the day, being strongest at
about two o'clock in the afternoon, and
fading away to nothing at night.-M
! 7. Ledger.
Though electrical storage batteries
have attracted attention only within
the past seven years, the discovery of
the principle is as old as the century,
Gausherot having first noticed in 1901
that platinum or silver wires gave off
a current after being disconnected
from a voltac battery with which they
had been used for decomposing saline
water. The first secondary cell of
| Plante was made in 1864 rbdnSd1O
Traveller.
"A universal competitive exhibition
of science and industry will open at
Brussels, Belgium. May l, 1888, and
continue six months. Fifty-six COM
mittees representing all industries and
various specialties, have framed ques-
tons whose solution forms the basis of
competition. Medals, diplomas and
800, 600 in cash will be awarded to ex-
hibitors, who are given special induce
ments BY the Belgian government in
the way of transportation, management
and duties.
In nearly every department of legit-
innate industry greater or less improve
ment is observed in comparison with
the like number of many preceding
years. Lumber, coal, petroleum, and
cotton fabrics are conspicuous for their
steadiness through the usual season of
mid summer dizziness. Railroad earn
ings gained fifteen per cent. in June,
and fifty roads show an increase of 1913
per cent. for the first week of July.
Money has become more plentiful at
the metropolis, but the daily dealings
in Wall street are small and quotations
sag upon the slightest provocations.-
Chicago Inter Ocean.
-BradStreetS has unique statistic
in the presentation of its strike record
for six months, from which it appears
that at various times during the first
half of the year laborers have been on
strike to the total number of 234, 734,
against 1868, S95 for the same period last
year. The number of strikes was 523
to 200, so that the strikes have been
more numerous, but have involved
much fewer numbers than last year.
The number of employees in the build
ing trades who have been on strike is
$1,000, in transportation service 81, 900,
in coal mining $4,000, in boots and
shoes 1900.
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